First Korean position player in the majors coming home

First baseman Choi Hee-seop has signed a 350-million-won ($379,400) contract with Korean baseball’s Kia Tigers, the team announced yesterday. Jeong Jae-gong, the Tigers’ general manager, flew to Los Angeles last week to meet Choi. The Tigers had obtained the right to sign him after selecting Choi in an open draft for foreign-based players. The two will arrive in Korea today. In a recent interview with the Korean sports daily Ilgan Sports, Choi denied he would be back in Korea, even though Jeong had already been in Los Angeles to negotiate with Choi. After signing the deal, Choi clarified that he was hesitant about playing in Korea because “I felt I still had more to offer in the major leagues.” Choi added he is glad to join Kia, his hometown team based in Gwangju, and said he would like to help the club win its 10th championship this year. In 2002, Choi became the first Korean position player to play in the U.S. major league, debuting with the Chicago Cubs. He has also played for the Florida Marlins and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Boston Red Sox picked Choi off waivers in the spring of 2006, but he only played for Boston’s Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket. Choi was a spring training invitee with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays this year, but was cut during the camp. In 363 games in the majors, Choi had 40 home runs, 120 runs batted in and a .240 batting average. It remains unclear when Choi will appear in a Tigers’ uniform. Choi has not seen live baseball action in nearly two months, although he claims he has kept in shape by lifting weights and hitting balls. Where Choi will play also remains a question. The Tigers’ incumbent first baseman is left-hander Jang Sung-ho. Jang has hit at least .300 in each of last nine seasons, tying the league record.